Werewolves

[Wade_Adkins]

Are Werewolves real?

[jno]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[woofgang]

lol jno, what do you do at full moon ?

[Lillabet]

I largely agree with andy hughes. Porphyria (the medical condition I think he was referring to) does seem to fit a lot of the myths about vampires.

People conjure up explanations for the inexplicable. According to an old criminology lecturer of mine some of the werewolf myths might be rooted in a fairly sick reality. Werewolf myths often accompany the finding of bodies over a period of time around a particular geographical location with injuries that were grotesque and yet unlike those inflicted by animals that kill.

Some of the descriptions in historic accounts bear a remarkable resemblance to the appearance of victims of sadistic serial killers who mutilate their victims. Not so long ago (1960s / 70s) it was popularly supposed that the sadistic serial killer was unknown before Victorian times (Jack the Ripper being the obvious one) but it may be that they have always existed - some do seem to kill at fairly regular intervals which might explain the whole moon cycle parth of the myth.

Just that as 'the sadistic killer' was not recognised other explanations were given. After all a werewolf is part man part beast with an unnatural desire to harm others - it fits the 'monster' descriptions given to killers today...

[Octavius]

Apparently it evolved as we know it today from a serial murderer named Peter Stubbe in Cologne an Bedburg in 1591.  It is recalled in a medieval script.

Stubbe was put on the torture wheel where he confessed 16 murders including two pregnant women and thirteen children. The history behind his downfall was rather strange. He had started to practice sorcery when he was only 12 and was so obsessed with it that he even had tried to make a pact with the Devil. Wearing a magic girdle he started to attack his enemies, real or imaginary, for revenge. After several months, he took the guise of a wolf and continued his evil with more brutality. In the wolf form he used to tear up victims� throats and suck warm blood. Gradually his thirst for blood grew and he roamed around fields in search of prey.

In it's earlier form, Greek mythology also testifies to the existence of werewolves. God Zeus once disguised himself as a traveler and sought for hospitality in the court of vicious ArcadianKing Lycaon. The King recognized the god and tried to kill him. He served him human flesh. God Zeus caught the terrible trick and did not eat. Outraged, He destroyed the palace and condemned Lycaon to spend rest of his life as a wolf. This mythology originated the word �Lycanthrope� which is used to describe the werewolf phenomenon. (Greek lykos - wolf, and anthropos - man.)

[Loosehead]

No werewolves but there are vampires, they work in my local Vat office.

[netibiza]

A lot of people are affected by a full moon but don't becoming hairy monsters - I should know, my hubby gets all huffy and likes to drink on full moon